Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini and Director Peter Segal sat down with Tech Life Magazine to talk life, friendship, movie making and Second Act movie.

Second Act is a movie of an outer-borough hard working Queens, New York girl who is trying to fulfill her dreams by trying to convince her chain’s CEO to promote her. Until, that is, she gets the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it is never too late for a Second Act.

Second Act movie stars Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, Milo Ventimiglia and Vanessa Hudgens. Jennifer Lopez stars as Maya, a 43-year-old woman who is trying to reinvent herself. She hopes to convince her chains CEO that she is qualified to be the boss. After failing to obtain a long anticipated promotion at work, she uses a fake social media profile to land a job in Manhattan. Her real life ride-or-die bestie, Leah Remini stars as Joan, Maya’s pep talking, sassy, supportive best friend. Joan is a badass mom who calls her bestie on her BS and is comfortable in her own skin, just like real life BFFs do.

Leah Remini and Jennifer Lopez star in SECOND ACT.

Five Things You Should Know Before Watching Second Act

Jennifer Lopez only envisioned Milo Ventimiglia for “Trey’s” role. Milo Ventimiglia and Jennifer Lopez have great on-screen chemistry, REAL good chemistry. According to Jennifer Lopez he was the only person she envisioned in the role. According to Jennifer Lopez, the cast was very busy, but once Milo Ventimiglia read the script and spoke with Jennifer, they knew he just had to do the film. “Ventimiglia was filming the hit NBC show in Los Angeles at the same time shooting for Second Act began. Scheduling his scenes wasn’t easy, but it all worked out in the end.” said Jennifer Lopez. The relationship between Maya and Trey is so powerful, you can feel it.

Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini are REAL life besties. When Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini walked into the room, they were smiling, laughing and holding hands. They are real life BFFs.Second Act is Leah Remini’s first major film and first film Jennifer Lopez and she have done together. As Jennifer read the script for the role of Joan she could only envision her real life Bestie Leah Remini in the role of Joan.According to Leah Remini, “A lot of it was our real relationship, and we were lucky enough to have a director who allowed us to play, and allowed us to, you know, I say I’m going to do a little something, and I also know Jennifer, she has a pretty large resume, and she’s worked with some A list actors, I’m not that kind of actor. What you’re seeing is just me being me, and then Jennifer reacting to Leah being Leah, and he allowed it.” Director Peter Segal adds, “When we had a little get together at her apartment, we just read through the script, and I got to see what their real-life relationship is like. These guys are like sisters. You start throwing out some joke at her that, “Oh wow”, and she just like zing them right back, and that’s when I encouraged her, I said, “You got to do this on the set.” She kind of took the bit in her mouth and went maybe a little too far with the slapping scene. But she did that alright, but that was them.” Leah adds, “The film you’re seeing is just a lot of like slice of life, real love, real respect, real–like some real things.” The relationship between Maya and Joan is relatable for everyone, especially women.

Second Act is a Love Letter to Manhattan. Shooting Second Act was a dream come true for the Director, Peter Segal. “It was a bucket list of mine, not only to shoot a love letter to Manhattan, but also to do it during the Holiday season,” said Segal. “Everything from Central Park, to Grand Central Station to downtown at the 4 World Trade Center, to the Brooklyn Bridge, to Queens (where my dad grew up), to Long Island City was shot in the areas I grew up,” adds Segal. One of Segal’s favorite scenes was shot at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House NYC. Maya, Zoe and her dad are having lunch when Maya’s friends pop up. Other locations included Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, Food Bazaar in Queens, Rockefeller Center, the Villard Mansion at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, Dean & Deluca’s, inside the Metropolitan Transportation Authority subway car and an elevated train platform. The glamorous Franklin & Clarke Christmas party sequence was filmed at Bar 65 on the 65th floor at 30 Rock. Is there a ” Second Act Movie Love Letter To Manhattan Map”? There are so many amazing locations in the movie you’ll want to map out the locations and go on a tour.

Jennifer Lopez co-produced the movie. One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is that Jennifer Lopez co-produced the movie with Plain Goldsmith-Thomas. As a co-producer she was heavily involved in Second Act movie, including casting, watching and working closely together on all the scenes. Patricia Field was able to create a wardrobe for Maya to give her styles and identities. According to Jennifer, “We called it the Queens’ Maya and the Manhattan Maya. And Pat Field and I worked very closely together. She’s obviously from “Sex in the City”, and thousands of other things, and movies. And I just felt that she would bring a color to this movie that would stand out. And that’s what I wanted, and she did an amazing job. We really had a good time creating the Maya character.” With [screenwriter] Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas as my producing partner [we] came up with the spark of an idea, kind of a Working Girl, It’s a Wonderful Life, outer-borough woman who was in her forties and was thinking her life was over,” the Second Act star Jennifer Lopez shares in her interview.

Sia wrote “Limitless”, song for the movie and her daughter is in the Music Video. The mantra for Second Act is, “the only thing stopping you is you”, said Jennifer Lopez. “You don’t have to hide. You really can just let all those feelings go.” “You get to reinvent, you get to evolve, you get to have another day every single day you wake up.” She adds that “That was really the basis of the film. And then kind of putting all these colorful characters together to tell this story that, well, it’s not over till it’s over at the end of the day.” According to Jennifer, Sia wrote a song for the movie which captivate these feelings. “The song that Sia wrote, was also, not a baby anymore, it’s about limitless, that’s what she saw when–she wanted to write when she saw this movie. And it is that because you have to get to a point where you have the experience to get to that feeling of like, “Oh yes!” And understand that power that you have.” The video for Limitless, the anthem for Second Act music video and Jennifer Lopez’ life. The music video is directed by Jennifer Lopez and also stars her 10 year old daughter. Limitless excerpt:

I told myself I had to be a different someoneIn order to win at a war I had already wonYeah, I’d given up on the saying “I’ll never give up”But look at me nowYeah, look at me, I’m limitless (I’m limitless)

Yeah, look at me, I’m limitless (I’m limitless)

-Jennifer Lopez

Song: Limitless written by Jennifer Lopez

Album: Second Act (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Second Act is a relatable film about second chances, authenticity, reinvention and not giving up. It is a film about women empowering each other and themselves. Its about going for the dream, no matter your background, age or zipcode. Its a movie about change.

If you have ever experienced a setback, if you are in the process of your Second Act or planning your next move in your career or life, you need to see this movie. It’s much more than just a romantic comedy, it’s movie that comes to life. Second Acts is in theaters December 21.